Dehli is a wild city. I spent the majority of the day roaming the Delhi streets and frankly, I am exhausted. A quick recap:
Visited several Mogul-era ruins and temples. It is amazing how well preserved some of those structures remain in such a densely populated and active city.
Wandered through a series of neighborhoods near Malviya Nagar. I was blown away that I could walk down an extremely poverty-stricken squatter community and one street over I could see luxury bungalows belonging to diplomats and politicians.
Haggled with a few witty shopkeepers on Janpath road near Connaught Place. Needless to say, I came out on top and left with a few memorable souvenirs.
Took the metro into Old Dehli. This was my first real “culture shock” in India. When I surfaced from the metro stop, I was thrown right into the heart of Old Dehli, a beautifully congested part of the city that is harsh and unforgiving. The streets were tightly packed and the buildings showed several layers development and infrastructure. The old part of the city is so drastically different than the new, I actually felt quite uncomfortable. I also visited Jama Masjid, an old mosque in Old Dehli. I made two mistakes: 1. I wore shorts; 2. I went on a Friday, so the muslims who were there praying did not appreciate a foreigner inside.
Spent several hours at the Lotus Temple. Although a bit of a formal gimmick, the space inside and procession were absolutely beautiful. I could have stayed here all day. It was also nice that the thick marble façade made the interior a cool retreat from the 100+ degree heat outside. The temple was not only stunning in its quality of construction and light, but it also felt perfectly serene and holistically peaceful.
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